Sam’s isn’t a new restaurant for New York City. The neighborhood institution has been around since 1930 and has been passed down through the same family for generations. That is, until recently, when the then-owner, Louis Migliaccio, handed his legacy restaurant over to a regular, Georgia Fulton, a longtime server at the neighboring Long Island Bar.
Fulton reopened Sam’s this past September, keeping its original ethos alive but in a slightly zhuzhed-up way. There’s now a much shorter food and drinks menu, still full of familiar hits. Looks-wise, the facade is unchanged, with the American and Italian flags; neon signage declaring there’s Italian cuisine, lunch, and dinner; and a couple of steps down to the front door. Inside, it’s mostly the same, but now there’s more dining room, and the front bar has actual stools. But still, familiar favorites remain, like the pizza on the menu, those same plates and glasses, and the cozy, family-friendly vibes.
Given Fulton’s background, the drinks are quite classic and good at Sam’s. I adored my very-dirty gin martini with three olives. For dessert, my server recommended the Amaro Montenegro, which was perfectly not sweet and paired well with the tiramisu.
The booths are cozy and good for groups up to four. The back room is pretty, with stained glass windows and a mural of a lush garden with spouting fountains. Sit back there at the larger table for bigger groups. Hole up at one of the bar stools for solo dining and good eavesdropping. Fulton added a drink rail separating the bar from the rest of the front dining room, much like Long Island Bar.
The upstairs bathrooms offer powdered hand soap only.
Head upstairs for relics of Sam’s past, including the nonfunctional phone booth, an amazing doll lamp, and an official Brooklyn proclamation issued in 1996 recognizing the restaurant and the Migliaccio family for their mom-and-pop business efforts.
